Soba Ichi

Soba Ichi is the Bay Area’s first restaurant to make fresh noodles from scratch — and among few restaurants to do so anywhere in the country. Chef Koichi Ishii shipped a stone grain mill over from Japan so he can mill his own buckwheat flour, and he prepares both the flour and noodles by hand every day. You can best appreciate the soba’s delicate nutty flavor and bouncy chew when they’re served cold, but the hot preparations benefit from excellent dashi broth. Either way, the attention to detail is palpable and impeccable. While noodles are the main draw, the restaurant also serves a variety of traditional small plates that exude subtlety and precision.